DIY: Stovetop Simmer Potpourri

You can bring the scent of fall into your home without having to buy any expensive candles or spray chemicals into the air that can cause allergic reactions. How? With stovetop simmer recipes. Some of the most popular ingredients for stovetop simmering scents include oranges and lemons, cloves and cinnamon sticks, vanilla extract, and cranberries.

Here’s how you can cook up this concoction.

Holiday Stove Top Potpourri Mix (This particular recipe is from Make it Do)

one whole orange or just the orange peel

1/2 cup cranberries

1 Tbsp. whole cloves

3 sticks of cinnamon or a small handful of small pieces of cinnamon

a bit of grated nutmeg if desired

Once you gather all of your ingredients, the instructions are easy! Cut up the orange, into quarters or slices. Put everything in a pot and fill the pot with water. Put the pot on the stove’s smallest burner and turn it on to the lowest setting. That’s it! Replace the water as needed once it starts evaporating. It will start to turn a brownish color, but will still smell wonderful. One pot should last for weeks, meaning you won’t need to make a new batch until the scent starts to go away.

Get in the habit of saving your fruit peels instead of composting them (especially those oranges!) When citrus is boiled, it gives off an almost instant reminder of fall. What’s even better, is it can last throughout the season! You’ll be able to use up some leftover ingredients and you’ll be saving a lot of money by making it yourself.

Oranges and cinnamon will remind you of fall and family time. To give your home a scent that resembles holiday cheer, adding cranberries will do the trick. There are dozens of popular recipes. The possibilities are endless! Experiment with your favorite citrus, fruit, and spice combinations until you find one that gives you warm fuzzy feelings of holiday cheer.

If you want to share the love with family and friends, this potpourri is great to gift! Just bag up the ingredients, tie it with a pretty bow, and attach a tag with instructions on how to cook it on the stove.